Donald SENIOR. Raymond E. Brown and the Catholic Biblical Renewal. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2018. pp. xxxix + 332. $29.95 hb. ISBN 978-0-8091-0644-8. Reviewed by Robert P. RUSSO, Perrysburg, OH 43551.

     How does one create a coherent biography of a prominent biblical scholar, when that figure left behind scant details of a personal nature? Donald Senior faced that very challenge, when writing about the life of Raymond E. Brown (1928-1998). Senior’s brilliant solution was to place Brown in the context of the controversial historical-critical method of exegesis, which begrudgingly became accepted in the United States after the Second Vatican Council. Despite the dearth of surviving materials (Senior combed through personal correspondence, an oral history interview, and interviewed surviving colleagues and friends), Senior does uncover several pertinent facts about Brown—he was devoted to his family, loved attending the opera, read all of Charles Dickens’ novels, was a fan of the television program Mannix, and preferred to wear worn clothing, rather than spend money on new clothes. These personal gleanings serve to humanize Brown, and soften the notion of him as merely an exegetical automaton.

Senior begins his biography of Brown by examining the evolution of exegesis and biblical scholarship over the past century (1900-2000), culminating with the Second Vatican Council’s publishing of Dei Verbum in 1965. For Brown, liturgical reform and the affirmation of the study of scripture by the masses would be a defining moment in his career, allowing him to create “prolific publications, both on the scholarly and popular level, and through the thousands of workshops, courses, and lectures that he would give throughout his career…” (xiv).
Senior’s biography includes the necessary chapters concerning Brown’s family background, his education, and training for the seminary. Senior also devotes several chapters in analysis of Brown’s major scholarly publications (e.g. The Birth of the Messiah, The Death of the Messiah, and An Introduction to the New Testament). It is in these chapters, expertly crafted by Senior (e.g. “Signature Exegetical Works: Exploring the Johannine Literature”), where the reader begins to discern of the vast criticism that Brown encountered from certain groups (i.e. The Jesus Seminar, then led by John Dominic Crossan).

Brown had also endured harsh criticism from both conservative and liberal factions of the Catholic Church. After an address made by Brown at the University of Louvain in 1976—he had received the first of thirty-one honorary doctoral degrees—his critics lambasted him for his allowance of the Holy Spirit in “the development of the church and the formulation of the New Testament” (204-205). However, as Senior was quick to point out, Brown worked within the framework of the historical-critical method while remaining loyal to the magisterium of the Church. One may also read “between the lines,” to see that many were jealous of Brown’s success as an author, as many of his works sold between 100,000 and a million copies.

Senior’s biography of Raymond E. Brown is highly recommended for its sensitive portrayal of the life of a most controversial figure. Senior’s biography of Brown is poignant, fair and balanced, and should be appreciated by advanced students of Biblical Scripture, Church History, and Ecumenism.